AMU Debating Club Celebrates University’s Foundation Day with a Lecture on Ghalib and Sir Syed as Architects of Modernity
Nai Dilli : The University Debating and Literary Club (UDLC) of the Cultural Education Centre (CEC), Aligarh Muslim University is celebrating the AMU Foundation Day this month with a special lecture series marking 150 years of Madarsatul Uloom, the institution founded by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan on May 24, 1875. This historic Madarsa later evolved into the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College and ultimately Aligarh Muslim University.
The event began with a warm welcome from Prof. Mohammed Naved Khan, Coordinator of CEC. Prof. Nazia Hasan, President of UDLC, introduced the occasion and highlighted the transformative importance of foundational decisions in shaping history.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Asim Siddiqui, Department of English, emphasized the influence of Mirza Ghalib on the young Syed Ahmad, describing Ghalib as a beacon who illuminated the significance of modern education and Western advancements.
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The inaugural lecture of the series was delivered by Dr. Seyed Taqi Abedi from Canada, a physician and internationally renowned scholar. Delivering the keynote address on the theme “Ghalib and Sir Syed as Two Polymaths of the Indian Subcontinent”, Dr. Abedi revisited the legacy of the late Mughal era and challenged the tendency to reduce its impact to only Urdu poetry and architecture. He argued that Sir Syed’s mission was significantly shaped by Ghalib’s critical insights, especially his comments on the editing of Ain-e-Akbari, which catalyzed Sir Syed’s commitment to social reform and modern education. Calling Ghalib “the first progressive poet of India” and a counterpart to Goethe, Dr. Abedi urged for a renewed reading of Ghalib as a poet of the future.
Presiding over the event, Prof. Saghir Beg Afraheim lauded Dr. Abedi’s scholarly depth and contribution to the discussion.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Mr. Shamsuddoha, Secretary of UDLC.
